Laws are what keep communities, cities, states, and nations in tact. Governments are held in high esteem in prosperous, working societies. Laws provide structure in society, but not everyone can be held within its boundaries. There are times when the justice of laws is questioned. What then becomes the right thing to do when facing an unjust law? Does one adhere to social standards, or pursue his or her convinced conscience? Each of these situations surface in the works of two ancient Greek writers. In Plato’s Apology and Crito, through critical reasoning, Socrates acknowledges the word of the law. In contrast, Sophocles’ play Antigone makes the point that justice should be put ahead of the law, otherwise more problems can surface instead of good. Comparing and contrasting these differing views will help in evaluating the basis of each position.

The Apology and Crito portray the conviction of Socrates as being detrimental to society. Socrates is said to be guilty of “…wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and he teaches these same things to others.” (Apology 19b) Further, the

The question at hand is which law is more important. Each has its own truths, but neither seems to transcend the other. Today, laws are a mix of both ethical standpoints and governmental orders. In a nation with much religious diversity, “godly” issues do not outshine legal ones. Likewise, the law does not throw out all ethical and moral beliefs. The Greek ideas of justice may oppose each other, but over time they have become more assimilated. The Greek views of social and ethical law share the search for moral justice in different forms.

Athenian jury convicts Socrates on charges of corrupting the youth and interfering with the religion of the city. The Crito becomes the definitive portrayal of Socrates’ belief in the righteousness of the state. Whilst in prison, awaiting his death, Socrates’ friend Crito makes an effort to persuade him to escape. Crito tells him that arrangements have been made that give Socrates the chance to flee. This is where Socrates makes his stance and refuses to escape. The view Socrates carries, along with mostly all philosophical thought and teaching, is that of ideals. For Socrates, breaking the law would be a violation of the Greek “polis”. The polis, or city-state, was an ideally autonomous group of males whose concerns were of civic duty and social justice. The polis made decisions for the betterment of the city-state, and the maintenance of its integrity. Socrates would not want to break the law, thus injuring the city-state itself. In Crito (50 a-e), Socrates goes into a self -dialogue of himself with the state itself.

Some topics in this essay:
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